As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Sister Hellen suffered the consequences of conflict in northern Uganda and lived as a refugee throughout her childhood. But Sr. Hellen does not look to what was left behind. She knows education can brighten the future for all.
“Today, I teach thousands of refugees (at the Jesuit Refugee Service Center in Kampala), because I know that the most important thing in life is to learn and to communicate,” says Sr. Hellen.
Urban refugees face many challenges in Uganda and elsewhere. “We know that those who cannot find jobs have no way of sending their children to school,” says Sr. Hellen. “There are too many children still left at home and not able to read or write in this modern age! “
“When children attend school, the future of the entire family becomes brighter. In school, children become responsible because their minds and hearts become more open and they learn how to practically use their skills.”
—Christian Fuchs serves as Communications Director for Jesuit Refugee Service/USA.
Jesus Christ, Lord of all learning, you sat in the midst of the teachers and doctors, hearing their words and questioning their conclusions. Encourage all those who teach our people. May they stand tall as teachers of human dignity and purpose. Let them enjoy with you the reward of a person made whole, made wise through your lasting intercessio and love. Amen.
—from For You, O God, © 1998, Loyola University Chicago
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